Spray chrome
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Here's the kooky thing about the pricing there: one of those giant plastic pixie straws would cost you more than a motorcycle helmet. So maybe there are other companies that price it by total surface area. In which case, a fender may not be that expensive.
If not, I assume the largest portion of the cost is in the time/service, rather than the material. In which case, it's simply a luxury I cannot afford.
If not, I assume the largest portion of the cost is in the time/service, rather than the material. In which case, it's simply a luxury I cannot afford.
I am a Snap-on franchisee and one of my customers who is a shop owner just got set up to do this. It looks awesome and I am seriously thinking about having a frame, crank, and handlebars done up in a color you never see - brown chrome...
I prefer the Alsa Chrome and color chromes for smaller things like bikes, their speed clear is one of the best clears i've ever used.
http://alsacorp.com/mirrachrome-reflective-paint/
http://alsacorp.com/mirrachrome-reflective-paint/
It's pricey, ran across it with car resto. Some of the powder coats are pretty nice, with a clear powder they're pretty shiny, looks more like polished aluminum, doesn't have the bluish tint like chrome.
One of the reasons I messed with nickel plating, think I had less than $50 in the set up, getting a variable power supply at a good cost is the biggest thing.
One of the reasons I messed with nickel plating, think I had less than $50 in the set up, getting a variable power supply at a good cost is the biggest thing.
The Renaissance Man
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I had been looking into this a couple of months ago for painting my new fiberglass saddles. I'm curious if you have used it yourself and if so how well did it work for you. From what I could tell it would look more like polished aluminum than chrome. That would be ok because I'm hoping to mimic the look of nickle plate more so than chrome.
I have used this many times myself, however I don't think that it would hold up on a bicycle seat for a daily rider.
I've painted vehicle grills with it and it's held up very well to bugs and road debris. It does actually look more like chrome on surfaces that are polished off before you clear it and in areas that you can't polish before the clear coating, it looks like polished aluminum. The kit comes with a polishing cloth, and really it only takes a few wipes rather than you having to work at buffing or polishing like you would real chrome or aluminum.
That's gorgeous. This is a nice idea for our project. But, I think that'll be too expensive.
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For small parts, I thought that silver nitrate used to created mirrored objects might be the most economical way to go. The results are not very durable, so probably best limited to trim, light bezels, etc.
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I think photographers used to use it a lot, but who develops film or plates these days? The folks at AngelGuilding sell the needed chemicals online, separately or in kits...mostly for mirrors. For experimentation, one could probably buy the tiny refills for less than $40 and do some small objects. The process isn't too difficult, just meticulous. Because the delicate coating is actual silver, the surface needs to be sealed or it will tarnish.
http://angelgilding.com/mini-silver-kit.html/
